This easy to make, creamy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad recipe combines elote (translated in English as "corn cob") lime, jalapeño, seasoning and Cotija cheese with the iconic creamy noodle salad often found at summer picnics and BBQs. Think "macaroni salad" with a jazzed up, slightly spicy, Tex-Mex twist!
This cold salad recipe is a delicious fusion of street corn and pasta salad and borrows inspiration from Pepperoni Pasta Salad--a delicious and easy to make side.
Whether you choose to use cob corn, roasted, canned or defrosted from frozen, this easy recipe, with its simple homemade dressing, always tastes great. It pairs perfectly with grilled proteins and is also a favorite side to our legendary Chicken Fajita Quesadillas.
A sprinkle of salty, creamy cotija cheese on top (much like feta) takes this Mexican street corn pasta salad to the next level!
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🌽What is Mexican street corn?
A basic street corn recipe involves ears of corn being grilled or boiled and then smothered in a delicious mayo and sour cream based sauce, mixed with lime, seasoned with tajin and then sprinkled with cotija cheese.
👪Why you'll love it
| Easy, prep-ahead side dish- Boil the noodles, make the simple homemade dressing, mix all the ingredients together and let the salad chill in the fridge for later (it actually tastes better this way). It's seriously that simple. Flavor packed- From the tangy, salty cheese on top, to the creamy, lime infused dressing and the slight heat from the jalapeños, this super flavorful corn and pasta salad is a party for your taste buds. Easy to double and keeps well- Make the recipe as directed for a family side. Double it for a picnic or potluck. Whichever amount you make, Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad keeps well for up to 5 days in the fridge. |
🥘Ingredients
For a complete list with measurements, see the printable recipe card below.
- corkscrew pasta- rotini, cavatappi and fusilli work best
- light mayonnaise- Hellmann's or Duke's preferred; do not use Miracle Whip
- light sour cream- Daisy's or Breakstone's recommended
- taco seasoning- provides great flavor and a touch of color to the dressing (this is also much easier to find than tajin)
- salt & pepper
- lime- for preservative purposes and for flavoring
- corn- can be roasted, grilled, canned, or defrosted from frozen (I often use this last option for simplicity)
- red onion- finely diced
- jalapeño- seeded and finely diced; when you remove the seeds and membranes, you remove most of the heat.
- crumbled cotija or feta cheese- find cotija cheese in the specialty cheese case at your local supermarket; feta (which is more easily found) makes an excellent substitute
🔪Instructions
For a more complete set of instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
- Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, seasonings and half of the lime juice.
- Step 2: Add the corn, diced onion and jalapeño; mix well.
- Step 3: Fold in the cooked, cooled pasta and half the cotija or feta cheese; mix.
- Step 4: Just before serving, add remaining lime juice and mix. Then sprinkle remaining cheese on top and serve.
Hint: Corkscrew pasta works best for this creamy pasta corn salad. The deliciously tangy dressing clings to all the curvy noodle nooks and crannies.
📖Substitutions
The jalapeño provides a nice color accent to the salad as well as a bit of crunch. If you're wary of the jalapeño, use poblano or bell peppers in its place. If you're not a pepper fan, you may use finely diced celery instead.
If cotija cheese is hard to find, crumbled feta cheese is a fine substitution.
🍽Equipment
- medium saucepan with lid
- colander
- cutting board and chef's knife
- citrus juicer
- medium mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
🍶Storage
Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Best enjoyed within 5 days (you may need to add some additional dressing or lime juice the longer it sits).
💭Top Tip
When making pasta salads, it's helpful to cook the noodles only to al dente. Noodles are like sponges and absorb dressings as they sit, which softens them further. If you overcook the noodles from the start, they will most likely fall apart in the salad--especially the longer the salad sits.
🗨️FAQ
Yes. Rinsing the pasta after it has cooked not only helps to cool it off quicker, it also removes some starch and any salt you added to the pot. I suggest rinsing it in the colander that you drained it in. Have it rest there until cooled before adding it to the bowl.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad:
📋Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz. uncooked corkscrew pasta rotini or cavatappi preferred
- ⅓ cup light mayonnaise Hellmann's or Duke's
- ¼ cup light sour cream Daisy's or Breakstone's
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 large (or two medium) lime(s) juiced and divided
- 2 cups corn grilled, roasted, canned, or defrosted from frozen
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup jalapeño seeded, finely diced; may substitute poblano or bell pepper
- ½ cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese divided
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente; drain in colander and allow to cool.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, seasonings and half of the lime juice.
- Add the corn, diced onion and jalapeño; mix well.
- Fold in the cooled, drained pasta and half of the cotija or feta cheese; mix.
- Street Corn Pasta Salad can be enjoyed right away, but tastes better when it chills in the fridge for an hour.
- Just before serving, add the remaining lime juice and mix. Then sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro or additional peppers as desired.
- Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Best enjoyed with 5 days.
Notes
- When making pasta salads, it's helpful to cook the noodles only to al dente. Noodles are like sponges and absorb dressings as they sit, which softens them further. If you overcook the noodles from the start, they will most likely fall apart in the salad.
- Finely dice the onion and jalapeño for easier eating. I like to reserve some additional jalapeño rounds to place on top to make it look pretty when I serve this salad.
- We add additional lime juice before serving to give the salad a more fluid and smooth consistency (the longer the salad sits, the less creamy it gets because the noodles absorb the dressing).
Beth S. says
This salad was a hit at our last BBQ! I doubled it like you suggested and was so glad that I did! I couldn't find cotija cheese, but feta tasted great in it.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
So glad you liked the pasta salad! Cotija cheese can be hard to find. My grocery store sells a very fine, almost granulated form, that I don't really care for. I actually found a block of cotija at my club store. It is so good, but feta is much easier to find and is a fine substitute.